Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium - Northwestern Wildcats
- Aaron S. Terry
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
Photos by Aaron S. Terry, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.29
Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium 2235 N Campus Dr Evanston, IL 60208
Year Opened: 1997
Capacity: 12,023
My Old Temporary Home
Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium serves as the temporary home for Northwestern Wildcats football while their old stadium is being rebuilt, and as temporary homes go, this facility is actually pretty amazing. Lake Michigan wraps around the venue on the east and north sides, and there is almost a carnival-like atmosphere here during football games, complete with food trucks and street vendors. The only potential drawback is that, due to the construction of other campus buildings right next to stadium on the west side, getting in and out is a little bit of a chore.
Food & Beverage 4
The concessions under the temporary stands on the north and south sides offer very basic fare, such as hot dogs, pretzels, popcorn, chips, candy, and peanuts, as well as soda and bottled water, plus premium and domestic beer. Prices for all these items range from $3.49 (chips) to $6.99 (pretzels), except for beer which runs $10.99 to $12.99.
However, there is also a hot dog vendor along the water behind the east stands, selling real Chicago-style dogs for $9 with all the traditional toppings a Chicago dog is supposed to have, including hot peppers, as well as bottled water and a few small snacks. In addition, there are also several food trucks set up in the northwest corner offering up Mexican, chicken, and BBQ/soul food, among other options – all in all an above average selection for a short-term venue.
Atmosphere 4
The best thing about this venue is the water – you can see great views of Lake Michigan, especially from the south and west stands, and you can also walk along the path on the east side, right along the water, and take a look at the boats in the harbor, or look at the myriad painted rocks, a tradition among Northwestern students.
The Wildcats staff also does some unique things to keep fans engaged – while most stadiums cover the basics like tossing out t-shirts, Northwestern takes in up a notch with a burrito toss (very well-wrapped burritos, thankfully), and instead of things like a Kiss Cam or a Flex Cam, the Wildcats do a Wacky Wavy Crazy Inflatable Cam, which certain fans really get into.
Neighborhood 4
Evanston, Illinois is about 20 miles from downtown Chicago, which obviously has a ton to see and do, but if you want to stay closer to Northwestern’s campus, and also want to avoid Chicago’s infamous traffic, Evanston boasts a few parks, a lighthouse, and several obscure museums. For example, Halim Time & Glass Museum displays historic timepieces and stained-glass windows, while The American Toby Jug Museum boasts drinkware shaped like famous people, such as world leaders and US presidents, or celebrities such as Elvis. There is also an Indigenous Nations Museum, as well as a few others – any of these would be a great way to spend a few hours while in town to see the Wildcats.
If you are looking for Chicago-style deep dish pizza, go no further than Giordano's – their pizza is so good we went there twice while I was in town for the weekend. Also try their broken cannoli, basically a deconstructed cannoli with the cream piled in the center and broken shell pieces used for dipping; a lot easier to eat than the regular version, and great for sharing. I would not recommend Gino’s East.
If you aren’t feeling like pizza, I would recommend Italian beef from Buona’s, although many other restaurants in the area offer it as well, including Giordano's.
Fans 3
Northwestern Wildcats fans are pretty solid, with tons of purple being worn inside the stadium, but you will also see plenty of opposing fan colors. In addition, the fans here are not as diehard as some, meaning you will see the stadium get pretty empty pretty early (at least in terms of home fans) during a losing effort, especially in the student section.
The student section at Martin Stadium is also not as rambunctious as it was at Ryan Field, mostly because there is not enough room for all the students to get in – because of the smaller size they don’t allow freshmen to attend, although they can wait in a standby line to get a ticket if the other classes don’t fill up their quota.
Access 2
This section is where Martin Stadium has a tough row to hoe – because of the construction right next door, anyone sitting on the south side will have to walk all the way around through some pathways set up with construction fencing, and getting in on the northwest side is not much better. On the plus side, once you are inside the stadium you can walk along the water, and the walk in from the south stands does take you by some great fountains in the center of what they call The Lake Fill, a little inlet just south of the venue.
The other downside is if you are sitting in the north stands, you might have to walk up quite a few stairs to get to your seat – the temporary stands on that side are much, much taller than those on any other side.
Return on Investment 3
Tickets to Northwestern Football games are very expensive – because they are in the Big 10 Conference they play a lot of well-known teams, meaning most games are sold out. This means you may have to pay a premium on third-party sites, maybe $150 or more, for a single ticket to the game. Parking is also very expensive – there is no place to park near Martin Stadium unless you have a pass (there are No Parking signs on all the nearby streets), and even some of the official parking locations are 4 miles away. I personally paid well over $100 for a parking space about 2/3 of a mile from the stadium, and you could easily pay more.
I had a great time while I was there – I greatly enjoyed walking along the lake and looking at the painted rocks, but you could do that without going to the game. So it all depends if you are willing to pay that much for a ticket; you will definitely have a great time if you do go, however.
Extras 3
For some games they have a block party in the area just south of the facility, like when one of the bigger contests is being televised on one of the major networks. They also have a team gear stand (two of them actually, right next to each other), in the northwest corner. There is also a lot of purple to be seen, especially because the netting wrapped around the temporary stands on the north and south sides is that color, so it kind of looks like most of the outside of Martin Stadium is done in purple.
Final Thoughts
I would definitely recommend a visit to Martin Stadium to see Wildcats football, although it won’t be around much longer as a football venue, given that re-built Ryan Field is supposed to open in time for next season. Martin Stadium definitely gives you the feel of a state fair, and the views of Lake Michigan are spectacular.
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